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As Manchester United assess the future of manager Michael Carrick, several candidates reportedly being considered have raised serious concerns about the climate within the dressing room.
Carrick will remain at the helm for Sunday's clash with Bournemouth, though he knows that extending their seven-match winless streak could push United into making a difficult call on his position. The Red Devils have claimed just two victories all season—against newly promoted Ipswich Town in August and Azerbaijani side Sabah the following month.
Several high-profile names have already emerged as potential successors, but The Telegraph reports that a number of those on United's shortlist have serious reservations about the toxic environment in the dressing room.
Club icon Wayne Rooney warned that the dressing room risked being "ripped apart" following Lisandro Martínez's public criticism of technical director Jason Wilcox and Bruno Fernandes's unflattering remarks about Carrick's tactical approach.
Restoring discipline in the dressing room is considered a top priority for more than one of United's prospective managerial targets, who believe the squad is "out of control" and filled with players who "talk too much."
There are essentially two paths forward. United could appoint a strong disciplinarian capable of instilling high standards throughout the squad, or the players identified as troublemakers would need to be offloaded. Neither option comes with any guarantee of success.
Player Power Remains Ongoing Issue at Old Trafford
The challenge of silencing the unrest emanating from the Old Trafford dressing room has troubled far more managers than just Carrick.
Back in 2022, Ralf Rangnick, serving as interim manager following the sacking of Ole Gunnar Solskjær, declared the club required "open heart surgery." He highlighted the need for "strong leadership," combined with players possessing the right mentality and a coherent strategy from the boardroom.
Erik ten Hag arrived that summer and immediately sparked controversy by clashing with Cristiano Ronaldo, later alleging that the Portuguese star's poor work ethic was undermining the team. A brief improvement in form quickly evaporated, and Ruben Amorim was handed the reins in 2024.
Despite dismal results during Amorim's spell, the current AC Milan manager made considerable strides in steadying the dressing room. He publicly challenged both Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho over their training performances and was candid about the long-term nature of his rebuild, yet the team's poor showings on the pitch ultimately led to his dismissal in early 2026.
In turning to Carrick as Amorim's successor, United hoped his standing as a club legend would prove to be the key ingredient, and that seemed to be the case during an impressive run at the end of last season—but things deteriorated sharply this year as familiar problems resurfaced.
Whoever occupies the Old Trafford dugout at the end of this season will face some difficult decisions, especially regarding contracts. In addition to Martínez and Fernandes, both Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw are entering the final year of their deals, with Shaw the only one whose contract does not contain a 12-month extension option.